


A Casual Affair

by princessdi



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Affairs, Cheating, Developing Relationship, Drama, Drama & Romance, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Falling In Love, Forbidden Love, Foreshadowing, Friends With Benefits, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Historical Hetalia, Historical References, Implied Sexual Content, Mentioned Austria (Hetalia), Relationship Study, Resolved Sexual Tension, Revenge, Romance, Sexual Tension, Unresolved Romantic Tension, as there is in all my stuff prior to established canon in the main time periods, developing romance established friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25439983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessdi/pseuds/princessdi
Summary: Fed up with her treatment under Roderich and deciding to show him that she can't be controlled in a deeply personal way, Erzsébet goes to Königsberg with a proposition for Gilbert that she knows he can't refuse.
Relationships: Hungary/Prussia (Hetalia)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	A Casual Affair

_Königsberg, 1693._

Erzsébet shivered against the chill of the wind, wrapping her shawl tighter around her. The lands so far north were always chilly this time of year as the seasons changed. She had never grown used to it despite all her time in the area. Her knuckles tapped against the door. “Come on, open up!” She muttered to herself.

Thankfully, it was only a couple of seconds before a surprised Gilbert opened the door. He cocked his head to the side. “Erzsi? What are you doing here?”

She barreled her way past him, desperate to get in. “I’m freezing! Give me a second!” A fire was burning in the hearth and she warmed her icy hands before it. A sigh of relief escaped her. “Much better. I simply wanted to see you, is that so wrong?”

He carried a chair in from the dining room and sat it down by the fireplace for her. He returned the smile she gave him, feeling at ease the way he always did around her. “No, but you haven’t visited me in ages. I’m surprised you even remembered the way.” He chuckled, shifting comfortably in his own armchair.

“Well, I’ve spent enough time here. And, really, wherever you are, I’ll always be able to find you.” She stared at him with an intensity that made him blush and turn away. She giggled softly. “What? We both know it’s true.”

“I-I guess so. But when you put it like that!” Gilbert cleared his throat, feeling like an imbecile. He exhaled loudly through his nose, trying to calm down. The whole time, he felt her watching him. “Why are you really here? You didn’t come all this way just to embarrass me.”

Erzsébet laughed again. “Oh, but what if I did?” Seeing his eyeroll, she shrugged. “Fine, so I didn’t. I needed to see you, Gilbert, there’s been a lot going on back in Vienna. I just, I needed _someone,_ and it’s always been you.” She began fidgeting with the skirt of her dress in her hands. Her head tilted low, she nervously watched him through her eyelashes.

His eyebrows knitted together in concern. He leaned towards her in his seat. “What? What’s been happening? Are you alright?” He began scanning over her body, trying to find any signs of distress. A protective fire began burning within him. “What do I have to do?”

A smile began to itch up the corners of her mouth. She forced it back down, exhaling dramatically. “Vienna is a horrible place; I was silly to believe it ever could become a substitute home. Ever since I’ve moved in, there’s been no stop to the abuse of my people. Roderich had led to me believe that my cooperation would mean some sort of improvement, but I let my,” she paused, thinking carefully of the phrasing so her plans wouldn’t backfire, “my guard down much too easily. And, forgetting how he treats my people, he’s become horrendous to me! Oh, when I first arrived, he put on the whole charm offensive. But now that he thinks he doesn’t have to worry about me, well, I can be bossed around and berated like anyone else! He’s inconsiderate, he cares little for me except as only some little prize, and I’m insulted every day I have the misfortune of being around him.” She looked up at Gilbert, satisfaction at his disgusted expression burning besides her fury at her own mistreatment. “Everyday is all oppressive tyranny. How I’ve been forced to live, conforming myself to whatever his narrow expectations are. Any little joy I manage to find is a miracle and near impossible to keep.” Despite her intentions going in, she found she was speaking from the heart. None of what she said was fabricated.

While she had been speaking, Gilbert had begun pacing up and down the small living room. His emotions would not allow him to keep still. He moved frantically, shaking his head at everything she said. “That bastard! That son of a bitch! Who does he think he is? I don’t think he understands that you could beat him within an inch of his life. Why haven’t you already? I’ll do it! This is his thing, isn’t it? No wonder Bohemia started shit, this is who he is!” He turned on his heel, striding towards her. There was a fire ablaze in his eyes, one Erzsébet hadn’t seen in a while. He extended his hand out towards her. “Did you bring your sword? I’ll come back with you. That’ll get him to leave you alone. Between the two of us, he’ll stand no chance.”

She had accounted for his rage, but not quite like this. “No! Are you out of your mind? We’re not marching in and murdering him! I don’t care how satisfying it would be; at this point, it would only make my situation worse.” Erzsébet rose and moved towards him, taking his hand in hers. Relaxing, a smile eased its way onto her face. “To have you here for me is enough. I missed seeing you, you’ve been staying away too much.”

He was staring intently at her hand in his. His cheeks began burning hot again and he found it difficult to focus on anything but their proximity. Noticing the silence between them, he realized he was supposed to be speaking. “Ah, right! I come around when I can. You’re the one who hasn’t been putting in her share of the effort.” He smirked at her, relieved to be back in known territory. “If you really miss me so much, it wouldn’t hurt you to show it.”

“I would love to, but I’m not allowed to leave! He barely lets me go to Budapest, do you believe he would approve of me coming here? I’m expected to stay in my gilded cage and do whatever menial tasks he doles out. Not only that, but apparently Antonio is on the outs and that means I’ll be granted the pride of being some vapid trophy wife, but without the elevation the title would come with! And the staff he hired is not easily bribed, making everything even more difficult.”

“I have to give him credit. He really is determined to make life hell in every way imaginable.” Gilbert huffed. “And to do that to you, as if he doesn’t have some second marriage all lined up! To act like that’s a marriage, good Lord! As if you would ever want to be chained like that to him. Who does he think he is? God’s gift to women? The creep’s ego would suffocate anyone even if they were all the way in the New World! Please, Erzsi, you have to let me help you somehow. The thought of you being trapped, miserable in Vienna is unbearable.” His hand gently squeezed hers, surprisingly firm yet earnest.

At last she allowed herself to smile. “If you really mean it, I suppose there _is_ one way you could help me.” She retook her spot in her seat, suppressing a chuckle when she saw him kneel besides her. She seized his hand again and began tracing circles on the back with her thumb. “You remember that one time, right after you became a duchy, when you found me in the woods? Not the time when you had to bandage me up, but when I was playing around?”

“When you were climbing trees and yelling that you were ‘the warrior queen of the forest?’ How could I forget, you looked wild and completely insane.” Gilbert smiled, remembering, before shaking it out of his head. “What does that have to do with anything?”

She ignored him, continuing. “And you appeared out of nowhere and told me that I’d better be willing to defend my kingdom, because you were coming to claim it for yourself.” Erzsébet laughed, remembering what happened next in vivid detail. “So, I jumped down from however high and landed right on you.”

“As soon as I could breathe again and saw you, I knew I didn’t want to fight you. Not then.” He felt himself getting transported right back to that day. His heart painfully flipped in his chest, as it had around her ever since.

“You asked me if a warrior queen had place besides her for a loyal knight. Then you,” she failed to suppress a giggle, “then you made me this little crown out of beautiful wildflowers and, when you put it on me, I couldn’t stop myself. I had to kiss you.” She licked her lips, smirking. Despite herself, she felt herself getting caught up in the emotions this memory always caused. “Well, not the only thing I had to do to you that day.”

His eyes were focused on her mouth. “We never talked about it afterwards.” His voice was hoarse, but he strangely found he didn’t care. His desperation was apparent, but what good would hiding it do now? They both knew what they knew.

“We’re talking about it now. Doesn’t this count?” She caressed his cheek and he leaned into her touch, eyes closing. “I didn’t wish to bring it up and risk ruining everything. How could I risk losing my best friend? You mean too much to me.”

Something within him stirred. He sighed, never before knowing such a peace as this. “Erzsi, I-” He stopped himself. Pieces began moving into place in his mind. Why bring up that day now, after telling him about the horrible situation she was facing at home? With the assurance that there was one way he could help her, one way that led to this. He stiffened and leaned away. “What are you trying to do?” His voice hardened, trying to distance himself from his prior feelings.

That took her aback. There was the response she hadn’t accounted for – that he would grow suspicious and begin to figure things out. She opened her mouth, considered lying, and closed it. The idea of it brought forth unreasonable guilt. She retracted her hand and set it lamely in her lap. “Roderich believes he can control every aspect of my life until some day I conform to his will completely. If he needs a perfect doll of a wife for ‘appearances,’ or whatever bullshit he claims, then I want him to know that can never happen. I’ll never be his to control.” Erzsébet couldn’t meet his gaze, staring purposefully out the window.

“And that would be done by having some salacious affair with me?”

She weakly nodded her head.

“So, you wanted to use me?” The hurt was clear in his voice. Out the corner of her eye, she watched him get up and stand on the opposite side of the room from her. Silence hung over them until Gilbert managed to speak again, this time sounding bitter. “Did you ever stop to consider how I would feel? I’m not some dumb oaf, Erzsi, I’ve been cursed with my own thoughts and feelings too.”

“Of course I did! That’s the whole reason why I asked you in the first place!” She could look him in the eyes now that her shame had been replaced with frustration. “You can’t really believe that I wouldn’t think of you.”

“Like hell I can! What evidence is there otherwise? What do you need me for? All you need is a body; you don’t have to hurt me while you’re trying to hurt Roderich!” He crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed. “You had a whole thing prepared and you knew exactly what would work. What a moron I am. I should’ve noticed sooner.”

Erzsébet rolled her eyes. “How could I ask anyone? It had to be you, Gil! Till the end of eternity, it will be!” She noticed his surprise but was too determined to prove him wrong to realize she’d won. She rose, striding over towards him. “Who else could I trust with this? Fuck Roderich! Nothing I do will ever matter to him, but I _need_ some measly form of joy! Do you want me to live the rest of my life in misery under him? If it upsets him, wonderful! Then he understands how it feels. But I need _something_ to give me a happiness that can only be found outside myself. And, goddammit, can’t you understand that you’re the only one who ever could?”

Before she knew it, his hands were cupping her cheeks and his lips were crashing against hers. Greedy, she pulled him closer to her. There it was, the rush of being alive, long forgotten since she’d been kept away from every battlefield and away from her home, her heart. Yet, how different it was! This felt new, felt exciting, like the stuff bards sung and poets wrote obsessively about. She grabbed a fistful of his hair in her hands. Closer, she needed him closer. Any distance between them would be a travesty.

Gilbert, seemingly sensing her wishes, hoisted her up into his arms. Euphoria filled him. He spared a moment to wonder how long since that first day he had dreamed of this, then scolded himself for even stepping away from the present for a second. How could he when this was reality? There was nothing in his mind that could rival this, no thoughts that needed to be considered now. His breathing hitched, feeling her hand through thick wool. He buried his face in her neck, trying his best to remain collected.

“What’s the point in staying out here? We both know where this is heading,” she growled in his ear. Who was he to disobey? With perhaps too much eagerness, he hustled them towards the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind them with his foot.

\---

Gilbert stared up at the ceiling. He didn’t dare to look besides him, fearing that if he did, Erzsébet would be gone and this would prove to all be a dream. Still, he groped around the bed until he found her hand and took it in his. A dazed grin overtook his face and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing.

“Are you okay? My God, please don’t tell me I broke you.” He felt her shift besides him, propping herself up on her elbow so she could watch him. She brushed the hair out of his face with her fingers. “And here I was about to tell you you’re much better than you were the last time.”

He collected himself, managing to calm down enough to answer her. He rolled over so he was facing her, his satisfied little smile never once leaving him. “I don’t think I’ve ever been better.” He took hold of her wrist and kissed her palm. “Have I ever mentioned to you how incredible you are? I’ve always been in awe of you.”

She rolled her eyes and couldn’t stop herself from snorting. “You haven’t. I think that’s the aftereffects of everything getting to your head.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead. “Though, who am I to complain? A compliment is a compliment.”

Gilbert smiled up at her, lazy and with an emotion she couldn’t quite place. “So, how do you propose we use this against Roderich? Start flaunting what he can never have in his face?” He was tracing circles along her thigh, desperate still to let his fingers learn every inch of her.

“Oddly enough, I hadn’t considered that. It might be outrageous enough to work. Wait! I thought you were against that. What changed your mind?”

He knew there was a true answer to that question, but he knew it was buried so deep that he would never let himself think it. “If it was anyone else, then I would have my objections and I could never go back on them. But, somehow, you always manage to be the exception to my rules. If it’s for you, it’s not really being used, is it? You’ve always been different.” He chuckled softly, knowing that what he said was as close to the truth as he could get. “What’s our battle plans, general?”

How could she focus on revenge right now? “Not tonight. I don’t want to give him another thought.” Erzsébet nestled in, claiming his chest as her pillow. She couldn’t stop smiling when his arm draped lazily around her waist. “Tonight, I just want to enjoy this.” She gently chided herself for any of her old fears. This didn’t feel like the desecration of the old, but the beginning of something new, something to enjoy as much as what it replaced. If not perfect bliss, then this would do more than suffice. It was better than what she had hoped for, what she had even allowed herself to believe possible. Personal joy could be found in captivity, if only she had the right person alongside her.


End file.
